The 2026 NFL Draft kicks off next week in Pittsburgh, and for the Seahawks, this year's draft represents a chance to add to a roster mostly made up of the players who were part of the team that won Super Bowl LX in February.

Because of the talent, depth and youth on Seattle's roster, players added in this year's draft will have to come in willing to compete for playing time, something Seahawks general manager and president of football operations John Schneider saw young players struggle with last decade during the peak of the Legion of Boom era. That eventually led to an adjustment in Seattle's evaluation process to make sure they were bringing in the type of players who had the right mindset to compete with established stars, and that trait will again be key for the 2026 draft class.

"Yeah, we'll be way more cognizant of it," Schneider said last month at the NFL Annual Meeting. "How do they feel about (Devon Witherspoon), how do they feel about Leonard (Williams), (Byron) Murphy? There's got to be a level of confidence, self-efficacy that we have to dig deeper into… Not just being fans of these guys, but like, 'I want to take their jobs.' The competition just rises to the top."

Things could change before or during the draft, but as things currently stand, the Seahawks hold only four picks, having traded their fourth and fifth-round selections to the Saints in exchange for receiver and return specialist Rashid Shaheed, and having sent their sixth-rounder to Jacksonville in a 2024 trade for defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris. But even with limited draft capital, the Seahawks head into this year's draft looking to add tough, smart and reliable players who can help the team in 2026 and beyond.

And with the draft coming up soon, Seahawks.com is taking a position-by-position look at where things currently stand for the Seahawks, as well as draft analyst Rob Rang's top draft prospects at each position. We'll also look at Seattle's draft history at each position over the past 16 drafts under Schneider.

So far we've covered quarterback, running back, receiver, tight end, offensive line, defensive line/outside linebacker, and off-ball linebacker, and today we take a look at where things stand at safety. Check back tomorrow when we wrap things up with cornerback.

Seattle's 2026 Draft Picks: Round 1, No. 32 overall; Round 2, No. 64 overall; Round 3, No. 96 overall; Round 6, No. 188 overall (from Cleveland).

Safety draft history under John Schneider: Earl Thomas (No. 14 overall, 2010); Kam Chancellor (No. 133, 2010); Mark LeGree (No. 156, 2011); Winston Guy (No. 181, 2012); Ryan Murphy (No. 248, 2015); Lano Hill (No. 95, 2017); Tedric Thompson (No. 111, 2017); Marquise Blair (No. 47, 2019); Ugo Amadi (No. 132, 2019); Coby Bryant (No. 109, 2022—selected as cornerback, later converted to safety); Jerrick Reed II (No. 198, 2023); Nick Emmanwori (No. 35, 2025).

Where The Seahawks Stand

The Seahawks lost one of their starting safeties, Coby Bryant, in free agency, and while Bryant's playmaking and leadership will certainly be missed, Seattle is still in pretty good shape at that position.

Even after losing Bryant, the Seahawks still have Julian Love, a one-time Pro-Bowl selection and a key leader on the back end of the defense, not to mention Ty Okada, who emerged as a playmaker last season, starting 11 games filling in for both Love and Bryant when they missed time due to injury. There is also, of course, Nick Emmanwori, who was one of the league's top rookies last season, though playing mostly in a nickel defensive back role rather than his listed position of safety. As well as Emmanwori played in that role, Mike Macdonald, Aden Durde and company might be hesitant to move him, but he has the versatility and athletic ability, not to mention collegiate experience, to play a more traditional safety role if called upon to do that.

From a depth standpoint, the Seahawks also have D'Anthony Bell, who played a significant role on special teams last season while also starting two games on defense; AJ Finley, who was pushing Okada for the No. 3 safety role in camp before suffering a season-ending knee injury in August; and free-agent addition Rodney Thomas II, a former starting safety with the Colts.

There is still a case to be made for adding talent and depth at safety following the departure of Bryant, but thanks to the emergence of Okada in 2025, and the addition of Thomas and re-signing of Finley and Bell, the Seahawks still have a very strong group of safeties even after losing a starter in free agency.

Rob Rang's Top 5 Safeties

Overview: Similar to off-ball linebacker, safety is a positional group that I immediately think of when I hear or read people criticize the overall talent of the 2026 draft. It boasts my favorite overall prospect in this class in Ohio State's Caleb Downs and quality depth throughout the first two days. Those looking for a carbon copy of Coby Bryant will like Miami's Keionte Scott, a highly versatile playmaker. Among my favorite prospects at this position not listed below are TCU's ball-hawking Bud Clark, Penn State's Zakee Wheatley and Kansas State's VJ Payne. Pairing second-year star Nick Emmanwori with his former college teammate Jalon Kilgore could be fun. If gambling on upside, Ohio State's Lorenzo Styles, Jr. was overshadowed by his brother, Sonny, during their respective college careers but the former wide receiver showed off his speed at the Combine, leading all defenders this year with a blazing 4.27-second time in the 40-yard dash.

1. Caleb Downs, Ohio State, 6-0, 206, First Round

The NFL doesn't value safeties enough for Downs to actually be the first defensive player off the board, but he's my favorite player in this entire draft class. Sometimes scouting is easy. Downs was a difference-maker as a true freshman at Alabama, becoming the first player in that program's long, storied history to lead the Crimson Tide in tackles in his first season at the college level. He transferred to Ohio State a year later and helped the Buckeyes win the national championship. Downs checks every box. He's highly instinctive and is among the cleanest open-field tacklers in this class. He's also a proven ballhawk, snaring six interceptions in three seasons and taking two of his 10 career punts returns back for scores. Simply put, Down is a Top 10 cinch and a future All-Pro.

2. Dillon Thieneman, Oregon, 6-0, 201, First Round

Thieneman doesn't get nearly as much attention as the aforementioned Downs but I don't think there is much difference in their ability. Thieneman began his college career at Purdue and was an immediate star, as well, earning Freshman All-American honors with six interceptions. His range, communication and reliable tackling made him a critical part of Oregon's playoff run this past season, as well. Stereotyped as a "smart player" but not necessarily athletic, Thieneman shattered those takes in 4.35 seconds at the Combine.

3. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo, 6-4, 201, First-Second Round

Every team is going to be looking for the next Nick Emmanwori and – at least at first glance – McNeil-Warren offers a similar package of size and athleticism. He isn't quite as broad or athletic as the Seahawks' young star (who is!?), but McNeil-Warren does offer an exciting blend of range, ball-skills and lightning-fast closing speed that helped him generate an eye-popping nine forced fumbles over his four-year college career. And don't make the mistake of questioning Toledo. This is the same program that produced Quinyon Mitchell at cornerback, who since being drafted in the first round by the Eagles two years ago, has quickly proven one of the best young DBs in the NFL.

4. Keionte Scott, Miami, 5-11, 193, Second Round

Seahawks fans might remember that Coby Bryant began his NFL career as a cornerback before finding his fit at safety. I think Scott could follow a similar path. He's played all over the field the past four seasons – seeing action at cornerback, nickel, safety, outside linebacker and even punt returner. I love his anticipation and physical style of play. He may be built like a cornerback but Scott attacks the line of scrimmage like a safety, generating 19 tackles for loss and six sacks among the 179 total stops he generated during three years at Auburn and this past season at Miami.

5. A.J. Haulcy, LSU, 6-0, 215, Second Round

Haulcy is a bit of a throwback, possessing an intimidating muscled-up frame that stands out among this year's relatively slim-built safety class. As his size suggests, Haulcy can be quite the enforcer, registering 347 tackles over his four years of college football and forcing four fumbles. He's also a proven ballhawk with 10 career interceptions. He began his college career at New Mexico and starred there, as well as in subsequent stops at Houston and LSU, showing the instincts and closing speed that translate well to the NFL.